VSS-sensing amplifiers refer to amplifiers having the bit lines (e.g., bit lines BL and BLB) charged to the ground reference voltage VSS, instead of the supply operation voltage VDD, before reading or writing. Charging the bit lines is commonly called pre-charging because charging is done before reading or writing. In a conventional VSS sensing amplifier used in embedded Dynamic Random Access Memory (eDRAM), because the bit lines BL and BLB are pre-charged to voltage VSS, when the memory cell stores a high logic data (e.g., a High) the current leaked from the memory cell to a bit line having a low logic level (e.g., a Low) is large.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.